March 2017: Commemoration Battle in the Java Sea

Monday 27th February 2017 the Dutch Oorlogsgravenstichting organised a commemoration at the war cemetery Kembang Kuning at Surabaya to honour the casualties of the Sea Battle in the Java Sea, 75 years ago. Wreaths were laid down by the ambassador of the Royal Kingdm of the Netherlands, the director of the Oorlogsgravenstichting, the president of the National Comittee 5 May, by survivors and by descendants of the victims. This was an emotional meeting where offcourse was memorised that the sunken allied war ships were no longer present in the war grave of the Indonesian waters.

March 1st 2017 a second commemoration was organised, where the admirals of both Indonesian and Dutch naval forces laid wreaths. Representatives of the various allied forces extensively declared the importance of this mutual sacrifice of both navies.

On behalf of the The Corts Foundation mr. Joan Snellen van Vollenhoven (secretary, ex-marine officer) was present on both occasions, accompanied by Prof. Bambang Hidayat (advisor TCF). The Corts Foundation is presently working on translation of a volume of the Senshi Sosho from Japanese to English, regarding the Battle of the Java Sea.

The Corts Foundation

is a Dutch non profit organization that uses the legacy of Kees Corts to perform history and archive projects concerning the former Dutch Indies, especially the period of the Dutch East India company, and end of the colonial period during World War II.